


Telescope In the Room

by httpstiles



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Stiles, Hurt/Comfort, Past Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-26
Updated: 2015-02-26
Packaged: 2018-03-15 07:31:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3438806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/httpstiles/pseuds/httpstiles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A month later and still no one really ever asked him about it, but it was only after one visit to Derek’s loft that the pack notices the telescope in the corner of the room.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Telescope In the Room

     The second time he notices it, it's pointed out of the window. There's not much to see from this perspective, though. Just off his property is a tree line, past that a road, and on the other side of that, the woods that connect to the Beacon Hills Preserve.

 

     Derek wonders at random about it one night. He's staring out his own window from the loft, looking upon the city. He wonders if maybe Stiles looks up, rather than out, at the stars.

     He finds that he's been thing about the pack a lot recently, and what they all want to do later in life. Maybe Stiles is interested in astronomy? He could have sworn that Stiles wanted to follow in the footsteps of his dad, though, and maybe even become a homicide detective.

  
     The telescope is the only thing that doesn't match up to Stiles’ personality at all. He's a sarcastic asshole that's loyal and always feels like he needs to protect the ones he cares about. There's obviously more to it, but even his book collection makes more sense than this telescope.

   

     Derek puts the darn thing to the back of his mind. It nags at him once in awhile, usually when the pack is together, and he sees him interacting with them like every other day.  
     

     Then one day they're all hanging out at Stiles’ house and Lydia drags them into truth or dare. He’s eaten various concoctions that he will deny ever trying, and Stiles keeps choosing dare right along with everyone else. When he begins to get tired though, he starts choosing truth.

     A few of them ask Stiles questions that Derek is surprised to find they don't know the answers to. He knows some of those answers. He even knows his last almost-hook-up, which Lydia and Isaac seem overly curious about.

  
     Derek asks, “Truth or Dare, Stiles?”

     Stiles answers, “Truth,” just as he had the last few times.

 

     “Why do you have a telescope in your room?” Jackson laughs, and calls Stiles a dork. Lydia says that it's obviously because he's a curious human being and wonders about everything. Isaac kind of just listens in on Allison arguing with Jackson after that. Scott stares at Derek with wide eyes, and Derek pays attention to Stiles.

     Stiles doesn't answer. He's got a small smile fading, and no one notices.

     “Pass.” The room goes quiet and they stare at Stiles.

     “Wait,” Lydia says. “What about this telescope can't you tell us?”

     “Pass.”  
   

     “Okay,” Jackson exclaims with a clap of his hands. “That means you have to do three dares.”

     “Pass,” Stiles says promptly, then stands and leaves the room. They hear the slow, soft thuds of his steps as he heads up the stairs.

 

     “How is it that you ask about a telescope and that happens to be the one thing that can shut Stilinski up?”  
 

     “Jackson,” Lydia scolds, smacking his arm as they clear up the kitchen. “There's obviously something behind it. There's a story that he's not willing to share.”

 

     Later when it's just him and Scott, Scott finally asks, “Why’d you ask about his telescope?” He's talking to Derek, but his eyes are on the stair case.

 

     “Do you know about it?”

     “Yeah,” Scott nods small. “I do.” They fall into a short silence.

     “I saw it, the first two of the small amount of times I've been in his room. It's the only thing that didn't make sense to me, about him.” Scott nods like it makes sense.

     Scott sets himself up on the couch to go to sleep, and Derek makes his way up to Stiles’ room. The door is wide open, just like his window, but the lights are off, and Stiles is curled up on his chair. The telescope is out, but to the side of the window, and Stiles stares up at the sky with his naked eyes.

     “My mom died when I was young,” Stiles says without turning around. “She told me that she was going to heaven and that in time I would see her again. When the time was right, I'd get to see her.”

     “And you thought the stars were the heavens?” Stiles nods, and glances sideways. He's not quite looking back at Derek, but it's enough for Derek to see tear tracks.  
     “I asked my dad to get me the telescope so I could look out the window every night, and every night I waited to see her. I didn't know any better, didn't know what she meant.”

     They sit in a comfortable silence, but Derek really wishes he knew what to say. He's better at keeping quiet, and he kind of wishes that he had about the telescope.

     Eventually Derek sits down at the foot of Stiles bed while Stiles swings his leg over his desk chair, making it rock back and forth.

     “I'm going to see her sooner than you think.”

     “Stiles,” Derek growls immediately, “don't talk like that.” Stiles sighs and shakes his head.

     “It's the truth.” Derek hears Stiles heartbeat pick up. His voice cracks when he says, “I'm dying Derek.” Derek crinkles his nose, trying to smell it, but not detecting the lie on Stiles. The breath leaves his lungs and a pressure pushes against his chest.

     “You don't smell any different than just last–”

     “I've been dying for a long time. This time next month I'm going to be in a hospital because I'll be too weak for me or my dad to take care of.”

     “What–” Derek feels actual tears in his eyes. “Why didn't you tell us? Scott can give you–”

     “I believe in fate, Derek. I believe that this is supposed to happen. I'm not doing anything that's going to tempt it.”

     They're in silence again until Stiles hears Derek crying. He looks to him through his own blurred eyes and frowns. He gets up and moves over to him and sits next to him.

     Slowly, Stiles coaxes Derek closer and Derek pulls him into his chest and holds him there.

     “You'll be the brightest star,” he tells Stiles.

     “No I won't,” he responds with a smile on his face. “The universe is saving that one for you.”  
Derek kisses him on the forehead and doesn’t let go until the Sheriff arrives home the next morning.

 

     Stiles dies on a Tuesday, the same day of the week he was born. He doesn't mention it, because he's dying at the moment, but Stiles thinks it's funny. His friends that are with him don’t. They're crying, holding his hand, and drawing on any pain he has so he can fade away peacefully.

     “Look out to the stars for me,” are his last words to Derek.

     When his head dips into the pillow, with no effort to push up from it again, the Sheriff leans down, presses a kiss to Stiles’ forehead, and leaves the room to grieve for some moments in peace.

     Derek isn't sure if Stiles wanted him to _look_ for him, or to look _for him_ , but he's going to do both.

 

     A week later, the sheriff shows up with a paper in hand.

     “Stiles made up some kind of will,” he says. “It's not an actual legal document, but he would have wanted you to have this.”

     “Have wh–” Sheriff pulls the telescope into view. The fucking telescope.

-

     A month later and still no one really ever asked him about it, but it was only after one visit to Derek’s loft that the pack notices the telescope in the corner of the room.

     Derek isn't religious, never believed in God, (how can he when he's a werewolf?) but he believes in a greater power out there. He believes in energy and the universe. He can't wait until the day he sees Stiles shining.

**Author's Note:**

> Please give feedback and let me know if I should add anymore specific tags :)


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